Episodios
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When the ticker came across the screen on CNN on March 26th, 20024 there was news footage of a HSI or Homeland Security tactical team raiding Diddy’s home, and it was at that moment people started to wonder what HSI is and why do they look like a paramilitary operation in the United States….
So, I wanted to be clear and really understand where did Homeland Security come from? AND WHY would they be involved in investigating arguably Hip-Hop’s biggest mogul?
Well, 11 days after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge was appointed as the first Director of the Office of Homeland Security in the White House. The office oversaw and coordinated a comprehensive national strategy to safeguard the country against terrorism and respond to any future attacks.
With the passage of the Homeland Security Act by Congress in November 2002, the Department of Homeland Security formally came into being as a stand-alone, Cabinet-level department to further coordinate and unify national homeland security efforts, opening its doors on March 1, 2003.
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The story of the Hip-Hop Cops when I started the documentary back in 2004, was that it was a secret unit, and it was shrouded in mystery, for many reasons.
The journey of going inside Hip-Hop and law enforcement for two years, left me with a few takeaways, but more importantly it left me with a question inside my head that played over and over.
Why was the Hip-Hop music industry at War with the Cops, and more importantly why did Hip-Hop have such a distinct connection to the War on Drugs.
While the NYPD, FBI, HIDTA, and the United States Attorney looked at the business of Hip-Hop what they really were looking to do was connect 80s era crack kingpin organizations to known and famous faces, it made for a more interesting story, it made headlines, more importantly for young and hungry cops and investigators it gave them purpose and a sexy reason to pursue these cases.
While Hip-Hop artists are music storytellers, when cops solve a big case or they feel they have a story they too want to become storytellers, and while I was doing the documentary, there was a retired NYPD Cop, who was brazen enough and understood Hollywood, to start calling himself THE HIP-HOP COP, his name was Derrick Parker.
If you you're a fan of The Dossier, please visit our Patreon page for free and paid content featuring exclusive documents, unedited interviews, monthly online meet-ups with other Dossier fans and the show creator, Don Sikorski. Goto Patreon.com/dossier
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¿Faltan episodios?
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Join hosts Nicole Luciano and Johnny ‘The Greek’ Anagnopoulos, two of the producers of The Dossier, as they break down all things crime and hip-hop, gleaned from their years of investigative work on the topic.
From the Biggie and Tupac murders, to the twenty plus killings that are tangentially related to Death Row Records, Suge Knight, the Bloods, the East vs. West rivalry, the gangster cops inside the LAPD and much more.
In this inaugural episode of Collateral Damage, Niki and Johnny give listeners some background on their work and how they’ve gained some expertise on the topics that will be discussed on the podcast.
Then, they take a look at the murder of Kelly Jamerson during a Death Row Records party in 1995 and give their opinions on the actions of those involved.
Speaking of Death Row, they also have a spirited debate on Marion ‘Suge’ Knight – is he a victim, victimizer, or a bit of both?
**If you you’re a fan of The Dossier, please visit our Patreon page for free and paid content featuring exclusive documents, unedited interviews, monthly online meetups with other Dossier fans and the Dossier team.
Go to Patreon.com/Dossier to subscribe!
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Where to begin, with the news of Homeland Security Investigations raiding the homes of Diddy in Los Angeles, New York, and Miami, it is very clear to me that something is afoot, combine that with rumors being reported that the Southern District is interviewing 3 what they are identifying as Jane Doe victims, and one John Doe, and Diddy has really hit a trifecta.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here, and let's make some early analysis.
Personally, I have some experience covering HSI or Homeland Security Investigations, and in my work I have also embedded with them on an operation that involved the DEA, the FBI, ICE, and a branch of Mexican Special Forces, they mainly do transnational crime cases, which means heavy heavy shit, not to mention HSI has a lot of toys, a lot money, and incredible investigators.
The case I was embedded on involved going after a cell of the Sinaloa Drug Cartel just over the border from Phoenix Arizona. THAT IS THE TYPE OF SHIT HSI DOES.
Secondly, for listeners of the Dossier podcast, you might be familiar with the Phrase The Southern District of New York, or as they sometimes are refered to as the Soverign District.
So HSI, teamed up with the Southern District is really bad news for Diddy, and let me explain why for you very simply.
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As my persistence to tell the story of the Hip-Hop Cops increased, my “fixers” —Steve Lobel and Pistol Pete, delivered on their promise to secure me interview subjects.
What sounded good in theory, was in reality far different, as their strategy was to merely accost artists and executives pretty much anywhere—at studios, at parties, concerts, on the street, back alleys—they even spotted Kanye West at an album release party and convinced him to do an interview in the back of the club’s kitchen.
In true Kanye fashion he gave me a great sound byte, even though I was only able to ask him one question. Here is his response to me asking him about the scrutiny that the police had on the industry. This was polo Kanye, College Dropout Kanye… but still it was Kanye in the back of a kitchen….
I was trying to tackle racial issues, but my execution was off—it was sloppy.
I just had to grab anything I could from the celebrities as it was rare to get an actual sit-down interview.
If you you're a fan of The Dossier, please visit our Patreon page for free and paid content featuring exclusive documents, unedited interviews, monthly online meet-ups with other Dossier fans and the show creator, Don Sikorski. Goto Patreon.com/dossier
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As I have started the introspective study of my life since the documentary I created 17 years ago, I don’t want to stray from my initial inspiration that catapulted me into my fascination with law enforcement and Hip-Hop, but more specifically, the nuances, perception, and uneven legal ground created by criminal prosecutors using lyrics, and their visuals, to pursue their criminal cases.
Like the secret book I found, the use of song lyrics or the use of a music video to create a criminal narrative seemed as odd to me today as it did back in 2005. Art imitating life, or life imitating art, these questions I still struggle with as my understanding has deepened.
Jaeah Lee who wrote the aforementioned New York Times article, opens the piece with the story of Tommy Munsdwell Canady, an aspiring rapper from Racine, Wisconsin, and when I say aspiring, I mean he uploaded a few songs to Soundcould, a feat my 10yr old niece can do.
Police in Racine were looking for suspects in three recent shootings, one of the victims, Semar Mcclain who was 19 at the time, was found dead with a bullet in his temple.
If you you're a fan of The Dossier, please visit our Patreon page for free and paid content featuring exclusive documents, unedited interviews, monthly online meet-ups with other Dossier fans and the show creator, Don Sikorski. Goto Patreon.com/dossier
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If you have been listening in, a New York Times article about rap lyrics that I read by a pool in the Spring of 2022, really brought me back 17 years when I decided to explore the origins of a secret Hip-Hop dossier, and why the NYPD and federal government wanted to surveil, track, arrest and indict Hip-Hop Superstars.
The way I chose to tell my story was in the form of a documentary I called Rap Sheet, and where I left off was, I was now in business with Pistol Pete and Steve Lobel, and my best buddy Rick Phillips was my main source of financing.
I was in the hole $50K and I had never gone to film school so what did I really know, but there were some core themes that were important for me and remember I wanted to tell a story that resonated this connection between Hip-Hop and law enforcement.
In this episode we hear from Murder Inc's Irv Gotti about his case with the Feds and his relationship with none other than the mythical street legend, Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff. We also meet THE Hip Hop Cop himself, Derek Parker.
If you you're a fan of The Dossier, please visit our Patreon page for free and paid content featuring exclusive documents, unedited interviews, monthly online meet-ups with other Dossier fans and the show creator, Don Sikorski. Goto Patreon.com/dossier
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In Episode one, I talked about securing a weird dossier that was compiled by federal and state law enforcement to track Hip-Hop superstars, and their entourages, associates, and record labels. With the book in hand as a young journalist, I decided the best route to tell the story of the book was to actually make a documentary, but I had no experience, no money, and I didn’t know anyone inside the Hip-Hop industry, but fuck it I started anyway.
At that time in 2007 I was fascinated by what they called the Hip-Hop Police, and I was also fascinated with how much mystery was behind this unit.
In revisiting the film almost 17 years later in hindsight my quest, my search or curiosity was one part bold, two parts naïve, and somewhat dangerous, at that time Hip-Hop was just hitting the mainstream, so violence, gangsters, and a certain allure was all a part of the story I wanted to tell, but I need some help, I needed people who knew the industry, could get me interviews, or people who could talk….
So, I traveled down to Miami, where the annual Source Awards was going on, to this day why I went, and who I met, changed everything.
If you you're a fan of The Dossier, please visit our Patreon page for free and paid content featuring exclusive documents, unedited interviews, monthly online meet-ups with other Dossier fans and the show creator, Don Sikorski. Goto Patreon.com/dossier
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My name is Don Sikorski.
I grew up in the confines of suburban Norwalk, Connecticut, a fan of the hip hop music of Public Enemy, KRS One and Rakim.
In 1994, at the age of 18, I left to pursue an interest in journalism and New York University. I was always fascinated by the rumors I heard surrounding hip hop culture, about murder, extortion, the laundering of drug money, the connection between criminal activity and the music.
Little did I know at the time, that fascination would eventually take me on a three-year journey into a very complex relationship between hip hop, violence and the likes of the NYPD, LAPD, DEA and FBI.
Hip Hop vs The Cops is the story of a clandestine joint task force of law enforcement, that have been surveilling hip hop stars. I would soon learn that even A-list artists who claimed to be targets of the so-called Hip-Hop cops, had no idea who these law enforcement officials really were or why they might exist.
Most officials questioned about the rumored secret unit refused to speak on or off camera may no comment are categorically denied knowledge of such a task force.
I would prove otherwise.
If you you're a fan of The Dossier, please visit our Patreon page for free and paid content featuring exclusive documents, unedited interviews, monthly online meet-ups with other Dossier fans and the show creator, Don Sikorski. Goto Patreon.com/dossier
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In 1999, LAPD detectives Buford Watts and Fred Miller (whose name should ring a bell) served a sweeping search warrant on the following places while investigating the murder of Biggie Smalls:
A 1995 Chevy Impala SS that was in the possession of Michel’le Toussant Knight
8200 Wilshire Boulevard – at the time the home of Death Row Records’ Company Offices
The home of Michel’le Toussant Knight
The home of Reggie Wright Jr.
While information has been scarce for years about the affidavit and search warrant, we are in possession of the thirteen-page document. In this week’s episode, Don Sikorski dissects not only the search warrant, but the confidential informants whose information was used by LAPD in this investigation.
One name will be familiar to Dosser listeners - find out who LAPD Detective Miller was referring to during his testimony in the civil trial when he stated that “the information he provided us was very good.”
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As we get deeper into the FBI Files data dump, one correlation came to mind: at every step of the investigation by the FBI and Phil Carson, he had to constantly communicate to his bosses and many investigators within the FBI.
He had to provide the path he wanted to take to get further evidence and information that would lead to a prosecutable case.
This episode we dissect an electronic communication from April 22nd of 2004. It was defined as a restricted document and the Synopsis as written was to communicate investigative leads, and witnesses which Phil Carson wanted to pursue.
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Here at Dossier HQ, it is with a melancholy sadness that we end our years long quest to get disgraced former LA Times journalist Chuck Philips to come clean regarding his knowledge of the players and forces behind the murders of Biggie & Tupac.
As many of our listeners know, Philips died in late January with Dossier Producers hot on his trail. Don Sikorski and the rest of the team have been in relentless pursuit of Philips for over five years, and our disappointment in the Grim Reaper catching up to Philips before we did is profound.
So with that we mourn Philips' secrets, we mourn his persistence to somehow wedge himself in between Suge Knight & Death Row, the LA Times, the FBI and Phil Carson, and the LAPD in such a way, that his back story and mystery takes on even more added subterfuge and red herrings.
In this special bonus episode, Don Sikorski gives Chuck Philips the proper sendoff as only The Dossier can.
Rest Easy Chuck.
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The FBI investigation documents are broken out into a few categories: the last two episodes really looked at the idea of evidence, but more importantly witnesses, and informants that hold information.
The documents that we find more interesting, and really speak to the cover-up or a lack of effort on the part of the LAPD are contained in internal FBI memos that were circulated among the higher-ups at the LA Field Division.
Call it political, call it back-room deal making, call it having an inside track to understanding years after the murder of Biggie, the high-profile names that had to do a sinister job of managing what would become a huge mistake by one of America’s biggest police departments.
Names like famed Chief of Police Bill Bratton, and his hatchet man Mike Berkow, and in these documents you start to see the influence of the Criminal Division of the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office.
If it wasn’t bad enough that the Wallace Family was suing the city for $400 million dollars for wrongful death, here comes FBI Agent Phil Carson wanting access to the Murder Books, wanting access to detectives at Robbery/Homicide, wanting information and more importantly just wanting the truth.
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Don Sikorski continues dissecting what we’re calling the ‘Origin Document’ of the FBI’s investigation into Biggie’s murder, and this is where it gets interesting.
FBI agent Phil Carson is outlining to his FBI bosses, the confidential informants, confidential sources, and witnesses to interview.
Now, one caveat: in the world that any FBI agent steps into there are red herrings, the hiding and misdirection of truth, and to be clear, these documents are not gospel; but they do show the directions they were looking in and what people who were insiders of Death Row, the LAPD and this dark underworld were saying transpired.
These documents contain information from upwards of 15 People, 15 sources of information - NOT one informant, or source.
Needless to say, this Origin Document led to the FBI opening a full field investigation into potential LAPD involvement in the murder of Christopher Wallace.
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In Season One of The Dossier, retired FBI agent Phil Carson walked listeners through the origin of his investigation into the murder of Biggie.
After receiving approval from his bosses at the LA Field Division, agent Carson began a months long fact finding mission, as he gathered evidence and spoke to witnesses.
He then wrote an Electronic Communication (EC) to his superiors and broke down what he’d learned, requesting that the FBI open a full field investigation into the matter.
In this episode, Don Sikorski breaks down Carson’s EC to his bosses.
It’s the official origin document of the investigation of potential police involvement in the murder of Christopher Wallace.
For more information, exclusive content, background materials and more, please go to www.patreon.com/dossier
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Detective Frank Lyga had already been through more in the last few years than most officers deal with during a career. From the Gaines shooting to the multiple investigations into the incident, to the theft of his cocaine and the scrutiny that followed…Lyga needed a break.
That wasn’t remotely what he got, however.
First, he had to face off with powerful attorneys Johnnie Cochran & Carl Douglas in the wrongful death suit filed by the Gaines family. His reputation was already in tatters, as Cochran and company played the media like a fiddle, planting stories about Lyga that portrayed him as a wild-eyed racist cop.
Former detective Lyga takes Don Sikorski inside the civil suit, from his deposition with Carl Douglas to the controversial settlement, he gives listeners a front row seat into the politics that took place behind the scenes.
That was far from Lyga’s only problem, as the Gaines incident had fractured the LAPD along racial lines – and he was in the eye of the storm. Frank discusses what all the swirling controversy did to him, both mentally and physically.
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After being cleared by LAPD’s Robbery Homicide Detectives, the District Attorney’s office and THREE Shooting Boards, Detective Frank Lyga thought he could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
That feeling would not last long.
Two weeks after LAPD Chief Bernard Parks announced that he’d been cleared of any wrongdoing in the shooting death of Kevin Gaines, two pounds of cocaine belonging to one of Detective Lyga’s cases would mysteriously vanish.
Suddenly, Frank was considered a crooked cop, a thief and drug dealer who’d gotten away with murder.
After months of being under 24-hour surveillance by Internal Affairs, he would be called into a secret meeting with Rampart Task Force Detectives Mike Hohan and Brian Tyndall.
In this week’s episode, Lyga takes Dossier host Don Sikorski through that secret meeting, which included a stunning piece of information picked up by detectives during a Title 3 wiretap on Raphael Perez’ phone.
He also discusses a previously unknown connection to Perez and his partner in crime, David Mack.
The Dossier II: The Secret Biggie FBI Files is a production of Criminal Minded Media, Action Park Media and DCP Entertainment.
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As Detective Lyga’s career twisted in the wind following the shooting death of Kevin Gaines, he would face a multitude of attacks from inside and outside the LAPD.
It was just days after the incident that the Gaines family would hire Johnny Cochran as their attorney, who along with Carl Douglas immediately began to paint Lyga as an “out-of-control racist cop.”
At the same time, the Officer Involved Shooting (OIS) investigation continued, headed by LAPD’s Robbery Homicide Detectives, while the District Attorney’s office considered charges stemming from the incident.
Newly appointed LAPD Chief Bernard Parks would put Detective Lyga through three separate Shooting Boards, something never done to an LAPD officer before or since.
Frank Lyga would find an ally inside the department, from one of the LAPD officers investigating the Gaines shooting — Robbery Homicide Detective Russell Poole.
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When any police department gets into trouble, leadership will do their best to triage the problems right away. At the biggest police departments like the LAPD or NYPD, a lot of times these internal task forces are developed, wherein seasoned investigators along with a version of Internal Affairs decide to roll up their sleeves and go after their own.
But do they really?
In these circumstances, sometimes begrudgingly, police departments will put together joint task forces that include FBI agents, and that is where the fun really starts. Because if you know anything about law enforcement, you know that no cops really like the FBI. My knowledge about Rampart, and some of the investigative bodies comes from Phil Carson and what he talked about on Season 1 of The Dossier. He was brought in as an FBI agent in the Public Corruption Division of the FBI to work with LAPD investigators as a part of RAMFIT.
But again, I don’t want to get ahead of ourselves here. Let’s take this step by step, to really find out WHAT the LAPD did right after they realized their own officers were robbing banks, stealing coke, beating people up, planting guns and drugs - and oh yeah, they also are working inside Death Row Records for Suge Knight.
SO WHAT DID THEY DO??
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In the immediate aftermath of the death of Kevin Gaines, the story of the cop versus cop shootout in broad daylight would become world news within 24 hours of the incident.
While Frank Lyga received support in the hours after the shooting all the way up to Chief Willie Williams, soon after the narrative would begin to change. Especially as the Gaines family hired Johnny Cochran, and then-Head of Internal Affairs Bernard Parks pulled his personnel package.
As former detective Lyga takes us through those initial hours and days following the shooting, for the first time on record he tells Don Sikorski what he now believes regarding Kevin Gaines’ motivations & actions on that fateful day.
That includes an eerie coincidence regarding the gas station where Gaines’ life would end on March 18th, 1997.
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